How to Come Up With Points for a Sermon

A pastor must come up with points that are relevant to the biblical text.

Every week, church pastors write a fresh sermon for the Sunday service. The first order of business is to determine an appropriate Bible passage and topic for your sermon. The next step is to come up with several points that relate to your main topic. No shortcuts exist for coming up with points; every pastor must analyze the text and consult reference materials to really understand the topic, equipping himself to write the sermon.

Instructions

1. Read the text in several translations. This may open new ideas for the sermon because each translation uses slightly different wording and emphasizes different aspects of the text.

2. Research the social context of the text and particularly the theology of the author and his hearers. Note the author's main concerns and the problems he addresses in the text. These problems likely have modern equivalents. For example, the story of the Good Samaritan is a story about compassion for the helpless -- an important consideration in biblical times and in today's society as well.

3. Consult commentaries and Bible dictionaries to see what other pastors and theologians have said about the topic or scripture passage. These resources will not only help you better understand the material, but may also suggest specific points for your sermon.

4. Identify the main idea of your sermon and write it in a single sentence before coming up with any additional points. Bill Miller, a pastor and member of the Christian Coaches Network -- in which Christian leaders act as spiritual coaches for pastors and other Christians -- advises pastors to start every sermon by identifying the "big idea" or the "proposition" before coming up with all specific points, all of which should point back to the big idea.

5. Take notes on the scriptures relevant to your study. Pastor and author John Piper writes down important points on a half-sheet of paper while reading the Bible text. He circles words and writes notes on the text while reading. Piper then finds two, three or four points that he will make in a sermon. Taking notes will help you identify several potential points to make in your sermon; choose the three or four points that best relate to the topic you have chosen.

6. Pray for spiritual guidance for coming up with sermon points. John Piper starts preparing each sermon by asking, "What does God want the people to hear?" Each Bible text contains many ideas, and it is important to identify the most essential points for the needs of the hearers. In the example of the Good Samaritan, you can preach about compassion or make the point that Christians should be as concerned about others as they are about themselves.

Tips & Warnings

• Bill Miller suggests that your sermon's main points should be "balanced" and "proportional" -- each point should be equally important. Miller says this will make your sermon more understandable and more memorable.

References

• Sermon Base; The Big Idea; June 2011
• Soul Preaching; John Piper's Sermon Preparation Method; Sherman Haywood Cox II; June 2011
• Soul Preaching; 7 Steps to a Good Sermon or How to Create and Preach a Sermon; Sherman Haywood Cox II; September 2006
• Sermon Base; Sermon Symmetry; July 2011